Behind Closed Doors
by MageNellofGalla
Summary: Possible One-shot. He said that he had changed. But that couldn't be true. It was too good to be true. At least, in Kel's eyes that was the verdict.


**Takes place during Midwinter in her third year as a page (When Joren says that he's a changed man)**

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The girl page was writing a letter to her parents about her welfare when someone rapped on her door. She sighed and put the quill back in the ink jar. "Who might it be, now? I thought Lalasa wouldn't be back from Tian's until tomorrow morning."

But Lalasa wasn't the one who was at the door. It was a certain blonde squire at the door. He was three years senior to her and he wore the brown and yellow of fief Nond. His pale blue eyes held no warmth at all. "Hello, Kel," Joren said in his sweetest voice, a smile touching his lips.

"Hello, Joren," Kel said stiffly. All of her senses sharpened in that moment. Her mind raced with possible explanations as to why he was here. Despite her panic, she managed to mask it behind her expressionless face and her voice remained even. "What brings you here?"

"Oh, I just want to talk," he said casually. "May I come in?" She went rigid as he entered her rooms unpermitted.

"Look, I'll make this brief. I really want to make amends," he started. "And we can't do that if we never speak."

"What do you call what we're doing now?" she countered. Inside, alarm bells went off. _What makes you think you can barge in here!_ She thought angrily.

He closed the door behind him. "_We_ are simply… getting acquainted with one another."

Kel's breath caught in her throat. She wasn't allowed to close her door when she had a male visitor and Joren was getting uncomfortably close.

His eyes roved around her face, taking in every feature. "Very…acquainted," Joren whispered breathlessly. He closed the space between them and placed his soft lips on hers. He put a hand in her hair and wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her against him in the same movement. Without much struggle, he turned the kiss passionate.

Her heart pounded like thunder and her whole being tingled from lightning that spread from her lips to her heart where it was sent through the rest of her body. Joren was a storm. But he was nothing like snow. His kiss was warm and promising. And for the first time, she wondered if she could really melt.

He said that he had changed and for a moment, Kel thought that it was true. Kel scolded herself for enjoying her enemy's kiss. This was bad –prohibited even. If they were caught, then it meant expulsion for both of them. Her arms made an effort to push him off her to no avail. Joren was stronger than she was.

And that was when the door opened. "Keladry of Mindelan!" a stern voice sounded. The couple broke apart, startled. "What is the meaning of this?"

Kel gasped in horror. It was none other than Lord Wyldon of Cavall, the training master. She pushed Joren away and wiped her mouth, barely noticing the lanky boy smiling smugly behind the training master. He looked a bit dazed as he stepped back. "Nothing," she croaked. The page tried her best to cover up a red face.

"It is most certainly something," he said, eyes ablaze. "Wasn't it one of my conditions that you leave your door open when you are in the presence of a boy? And just for this reason, too!"

The blue-eyed squire studied Kel with bewilderment in his eyes. He was practically breathless and very flustered. That was not how he had planned it to go.

"Stone Mountain." Joren's head whipped around to face Wyldon and he bowed instantly.

"Your Lordship, I –I," he stuttered. This was one of the scarce times that Joren, the impossibly rich and cruel squire, was speechless.

"You two know the punishment I issue for this kind of behavior, am I correct?" Wyldon demanded.

Kel opened her mouth to defend herself but clamped it shut just as quick. She had to follow the Code of Chivalry. She simply nodded.

"Keladry!" he scolded. "I did not expect something like _this_ from you."

She was on the verge of tears. Her dream was gone in just a moment. Disintegrated by her own ignorance. Why had she let him in!

"Nor did I expect this from you, Joren." He shook his head. "So much potential…"

Joren looked at Kel. Her eyes glistened with unwanted tears and her jaw clenched to keep from crying out an excuse. "Sir Wyldon," he began. Lord Wyldon's eyes flicked to his prized student. "Don't expel Kel. It was my fault. I made the first move. I," he gulped, "kissed her."

Kel's head turned to look at Joren. Pure guilt covered his handsome face. This was not the Joren that had walked in earlier. He was not the Joren that knocked on the door to visit unannounced. His were not windows that showed only the harsh blizzard.

Wyldon's eyes widened in shock. "Are you saying that you want me to expel you and only you? Not Mindelan."

He nodded slowly.

"Joren," Kel said under her breath in surprise. He looked at her and gave a smile.

"It _is_ true, sir." His eyes never left hers. "I kissed her first. She hadn't even known that I'd be dropping by."

The training master looked from page to squire. "Is it true, Mindelan?"

Kel nodded numbly. In her mind, she asked herself one question: _What is the meaning of this?_

"Very well," he said firmly. "Stone Mountain, we'll discuss this in my office the first thing in the morning. Please make sure that sir Paxton is present." And with that, he turned on his heel and walked away.

Vinson walked into the room to see two thoroughly abashed people. "Joren!" he said in a hushed tone. "What came over you?"

Kel narrowed her eyes at Vinson. _Why is he here? _She thought.

"You dunce! That wasn't what we planned!" he said to Joren.

"Vinson, leave." Kel's eyes snapped to Joren. He was commanding one of his cronies to leave. Her head spun, trying to figure out what just happened.

Vinson's eyes were glowing with anger. "We need to talk, Joren. Now, preferably."

"This is my room, you know?" Kel spoke up. "If you're going to talk, go somewhere else."

Vinson glared at her. "If we talk here, what can you do about it?"

"Vinson." Joren's voice held a warning. "Get out."

He stared at Joren. The gangly youth seemed to be seething. "Why, Joren? You plan on finishing the Lump yourself?"

"Just go. Before you make me pound you to a pulp," he said lazily. Vinson blew air out of his nose haughtily and left without so much as a comeback or a good bye.

"Kel," he started, turning to face her.

"What is this?" she said, her voice rising in the slightest. "You two were planning on getting me kicked out? And this is how?"

"That's what we planned," he sighed exasperatedly. "But then –"

"So as long as _I_ get the boot, it's okay if you go down with me?" she demanded to confirm her suspicions.

He shook his head sharply. "No. Actually, you were supposed to be the only one who would get kicked but…" He trailed off.

"But what? What made you change your mind?" she said.

His hand clenched. He rolled his eyes and turned his head to the side. "Ugh," he said in frustration. "I don't know."

Kel schooled her face into her Yamani mask. It wouldn't do good to disturb the whole page wing with their yelling. "What do you mean '_I don't know'?"_ she demanded.

His eyes glinted with an alien emotion Kel couldn't place. "You mean you didn't…?" He shook his head and smirked, rubbing his chin.

"Didn't what?" she asked in a level tone.

"No. Nothing," he replied. "It's a ridiculous thought. You needn't know any of it."

"What was it?" She wanted to know.

"You _enjoyed_ my kiss," he accused, looking down on her with a smug smile on his face.

Kel flushed from embarrassment. "No," she denied, not meeting his eyes.

He lifted up her chin. "Look me in the eyes and say 'I did not like your kiss'."

She looked up in those piercing blue eyes. They looked considerably bluer at the moment. Those blue pearls kept her from speaking, almost drowning her.

"Knew it," he sneered.

She waved his hand away. "I didn't enjoy your kiss at all, Squire Joren," she spat. "It was like kissing a pig."

The blond laughed airily. "Oh, but my dear, how would you know that it felt like that if you've never kissed a pig before. Unless…" he gasped in false shock.

Punched him in the arm. "I've never been kissed before, thank you very much."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he drawled. "I thought you and Neal did it all the time."

_If only he saw me like that,_ she thought. She kicked herself silently. She wasn't supposed to be thinking like that! "Well, we don't," she said in their defense.

"Ooh, a saint," he teased.

Kel rolled her eyes. "I'm not a saint either. I do plenty of evil things."

"If that's so, then give me a kiss," he challenged.

She looked at his pink lips and wondered what it'd feel like to be in contact with them again. She shook her head to clear it away but Joren perceived it as unwillingness.

"What a saint," he pat her cheek with his right hand.

"Well why would you want me to kiss you?" she countered. "The only reason would be because you want to kiss _me."_

"And if I do?" he asked huskily. He covered the distance between them in one stride and held her against him. "You're a saint," he teased.

Kel glared up at him. His beautiful face was inviting her to prove him wrong. But she didn't take the bait. She wouldn't be a Koi fish.

"Fine," he sighed. "You're a saint. It's a good thing _I'm_ not." And with that, he covered her mouth in one more kiss. His left hand traveled up into her cropped mouse-brown hair and he deepened the kiss swiftly, sending that same feeling through her veins. It felt like an eternity but it lasted only a moment until he pulled back and let her go.

She looked at him, breathing labored. "Out," she commanded.

He simpered. "You can't deny it anymore." His eyes shined. Now, his eyes were ocean blue, the icy flecks melted for the time being. "You like my kisses." And with that, he left her with her jumble of thoughts.

Kel sighed in relief as she closed the door and sank to the ground. "This is too much for one night," she groaned. The hazel-eyed girl readied for bed and fell on her sheets, neglecting the unfinished letter. She was too confused to write about her welfare.

As she tossed in bed, little did she know that she was the cause for Joren's insomnia.

He simply couldn't stop thinking about her. Had he fallen in love with the Lump? This couldn't be. This just _couldn't_ be! He kept replaying the events of the night, trying to work out why he had done those things. The look in her hazel eyes before he left. How cute she looked when she was surprised. Did he feel what he did? Like a storm passed right through him? He groaned and buried himself in his sheets. _Maybe I love the girl…_

Similar thoughts ran through Kel's mind, unwelcome. His midnight blue eyes that appeared only then were startling. But she had to admit that they were attractive. Her hand went to her lips as she recalled the feeling. Had he felt what she felt? The lightning and the thunder? She cursed herself and Joren. Maybe she loved the bastard.

She groaned and tried to clear her head in vain. Evidently, sleep was not going to visit either of them for that night.

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**(A/N) I might make this fic into a chapter fic if I get at least three reviews telling me to. I, personally, think that I don't write Joren that well and if anyone has the time to give me constructive criticism, **_**please**_** be my guest. **

**It was my birthday on Mar. 5! Whoopie. Haha. I was supposed to update on my birthday but, you know, school got in the way. Don't expect another update until the 23****rd****. I've got so much to do until then. Exams are this week… .**

**Well, thank you so much for reading! Also click the blue button at the bottom to review. Reviews are very much appreciated! :D**

**Warmest regards,  
Nell**

**P.S. If anyone wanted to know, I just turned 13. Whoopie! xD AND I accidentally deleted this story. Sorry ^_^ lol. **


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